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UNITED    STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 
STATES  RELATIONS  SERVICE. 

A.  C.  TRUE,  Director 


HOW  TEACHERS  IN  RURAL  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS  MAY 
USE  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  767,  GOOSE  RAISING*^/ 

Range  for  use. — General,  but  of  special  importance  to  the  South 
and  Middle  West. 

Relation  to  the  course  of  study. — This  bulletin  should  be  used  in 
connection  with  the  course  in  agriculture  as  it  relates  to  poultry. 

Topics  for  study. — The  material  in  this  bulletin  should  be  grouped 
into  four  lesson  topics:  (1)  Breeds  —  Toulouse,  Embden.  African. 
Chinese,  wild  or  Canada,  and  Egyptian,  pages  3-7;  (2)  breeding — 
extent,  purposes,  houses,  selecting  and  mating,  pages  7-10;  (3)  in- 
cubation, pages  10-12;  and  (4)  feeding  and  preparing  for  market, 
pages  12-14. 

Study  questions. — Topic  1.  Study  the  descriptions  and  compare  the 
figures  of  the  several  breeds  of  geese  to  enable  the  pupils  to  recognize 
each  breed.  Make  a  survey  of  the  community  to  ascertain  the  breeds 
found,  the  number  of  geese  of  each  breed,  the  purposes  for  which 
each  breed  is  grown,  the  value  of  the  total  number  of  each  breed,  the 
total  value  of  all  the  geese  in  the  community,  how  disposed  of  or 
marketed. 

Topic  2.  Where  the  breeding  of  geese  is  to  be  made  a  business,  what 
provisions  should  be  made  with  reference  to  feed  and  water  \  What 
should  be  provided  in  the  way  of  housing  \  What  points  should  be 
taken  into  consideration  in  selecting  geese  for  breeding  purposes  ? 

Topic  3.  When  should  goose  eggs  be  saved  for  incubation  I  What 
provisions  should  be  made  in  the  way  of  nests  ?  What  methods  of  in- 
cubation are  employed?     How  are  goslings  brooded? 

Topic  4.  What  is  the  most  important  factor  in  the  feeding  of 
geese  ?  What  supplementary  food  is  necessary  1  What  rations  should 
be  fed  to  goslings  \  What  rations  are  used  in  fattening  geese  ?  Is  it 
advisable  to  confine  geese  during  the  fattening  period?  What 
rations  are  suggested  for  adult  geese  for  egg  production?  What 
methods  are  employed  in  fattening  young  geese?  Give  directions 
for  dressing  geese  for  market.  Are  geese  raised  in  the  community 
for  feathers  ?    When  and  how  should  feathers  be  plucked  ? 

Illustrative  materials. — Utilize  the  figures  in  the  bulletin  in  con- 
nection with  the  study  of  breeds.  Make  collections  of  typical  feathers 
from  the  various  breeds  of  geese  found  in  the  community.     Mount 

95844°— 17 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 

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these  on  cardboard  and  preserve  them  for  further  class  use  and 
school  exhibits. 

Practical  exercises. — »(1)  Making  the  community  survey  provided 
for  in  connection  with  topic  1  affords  practice.  (2)  Members  of  the 
class  may  either  become  responsible  for  the  home  flocks  of  geese  or 
undertake  home  projects  in  the  growing  of  goslings  for  market. 

Correlations. — For  written  work  compile  the  facts  ascertained 
from  the  community  survey  previously  referred  to. 

Drawing :  Members  of  the  class  should  be  required  to  make  sketches 
of  the  different  breeds  of  geese  found  in  the  community;  also  of 
typical  feathers. 

The  facts  ascertained  in  the  survey  should  be  utilized  to  develop 
exercises  in  arithmetic.  Keep  records  of  the  feed  used  and  cost  of 
growing  10  goslings ;  fattening  15  geese.  Take  into  account  the  daily 
ration  and  the  number  of  days. 

E.  A.  Miller, 
Specialist  in  Agricultural  Education. 

Approved : 

C.  H.  Laxe, 

Chief  Specialist  in  Agricultural  Education. 

April  5.  1917. 


WASHINGTON  \  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICB  \  1917 


